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LeedsPlayhouse are kicking off 2019 with a Yorkshire tale of boy and bird, and a national tale of family and heartbreak as Kes and random begin rehearsals.

Full of energy and life, actors Lucas Button and Jack Lord, who have just finished working together on the War Horse UK tour, are currently rehearsing for Kes, adapted for the stage byRobert Alan Evans from Barry Hines’ iconic novel A Kestrel for a Knave. Celebrating 50 years since the release of Ken Loach’s seminal film, the moving story of young Billy and his kestrel soars into the Pop-Up theatre from the end of January.

Also in rehearsal, Silent Witness and Hollyoaks star Kiza Deen takes on the beautifully crafted random, a heartbreakingly relevant one-woman play by award-winning playwright and screenwriter Debbie Tucker Green. Following an ordinary family who find themselves caught up in catastrophe and grief, Kiza embodies four different characters in this detailed and brilliantly observed play, directed by the acclaimed Gbolahan Obisesan.

From 4 February, both productions will play back-to-back in the Pop-Up theatre, giving audiences the opportunity to experience both of these extraordinary stories in one evening.

Kes plays in LeedsPlayhouse’s Pop-Up theatre from 25 January to 16 February, with random playing from 4 to 16 February.

LeedsPlayhouse will host its 2018/19 season in a Pop-Up theatre on the existing Playhouse site, whilst a Capital Redevelopment project of the building takes place. The Pop-Up season, in association with SOYO Leeds, also includes: Intergenerational performance Dinner 18:55 sees members of our older people’s and youth programmes make time for a meal and a conversation. William Shakespeare'sHamlet confronts us with the mirror of our own mortality in an imperfect world, with Hamlet played by Tessa Parr. Follow the adventures of Phileas Fogg in Easter romp Around the World in 80 Days, both in the Pop-Up and community venues across the city region. The season closes with Amanda Whittington’sBe My Baby, in association with Mind the Gap theatre company, exploring shame, teenage pregnancy and female friendship the 1960s.

The Playhouse is currently embarking on a major Capital Redevelopment project, signalling a vital new chapter in the Playhouse’s long history. The project will see the building transformed, with a new city-facing entrance, improved access, and the addition of a new studio theatre space, the Bramall Rock Void, in a venue that is both much more financially resilient and environmentally sustainable. Led by Leeds City Council, the £15.8m redevelopment project has also secured vital support from Arts Council England alongside major grants from The Liz & Terry Bramall Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation and The Foyle Foundation. Irwin Mitchell became the first confirmed Principal Capital Partner continuing their long-term support of our Access Programme, as well as naming the new Irwin Mitchell foyer. The Pop-Up theatre at LeedsPlayhouse is in association with SOYO Leeds as part of their commitment, jointly with Moda, as Principal Capital Partners. The Brooke Room in the new development will be named after Sir Rodney and Dr Lady Clare Brooke, the Playhouse Chairman and his wife, following their major donation to the project. The PLAY YOUR PART fundraising campaign invites the public to get involved and support the Playhouse’s transformation.

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